Tunisia to try Ben Ali, wife, in absentia 'in coming weeks'

© 2011 AFP

Tunisia will try ousted strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi in absentia...

Tunisia will try ousted strongman Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and his wife Leila Trabelsi in absentia "in the coming days or weeks" in two first cases, a justice ministry spokesman said Friday.

"The investigating magistrates have completed their inquiries. They will be transferred to the criminal court in the coming days or weeks," said Kadhem Zine el-Abidine.

The couple fled to Saudi Arabia after a popular uprising forced Ben Ali's downfall on January 14 after 23 years of rule.

The first charge relates to the discovery of weapons and drugs in the presidential palace at Carthage, the spokesman said.

Almost two kilograms of narcotics, thought to be cannabis, were allegedly found in the ex-president's private office.

The second charge involves $27 million in cash discovered in Ben Ali's palace in the Tunis suburb of Sidi Bou Said in February.

They are two of a total 88 ongoing inquiries into the couple, their family and the regime's former ministers and officials, the spokesman said.

Authorities are also looking into cases of murder, abuse of power, trafficking archeological artefacts and money laundering, among others.

Tunisia's interim administration has demanded the former president's extradition from Saudi Arabia along with his wife.

Several European countries have frozen assets belonging to Ben Ali and his entourage.

Investigators have questioned 33 members of his clan in the months since the ex-president, who has hired a Lebanese lawyer to defend him, was ousted.

Tunisian authorities also arrested his sister on Friday, according to reports.

Najet Ben Ali, who had been the subject of an arrest warrant, was detained on Thursday evening in the Sousse region, around 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of Tunis, the official TAP news agency reported.

She was later released pending further inquiry.

Customs officials also seized two yachts belonging to his family earlier on Friday.

Port authorities will put the two vessels, which have been moored at the Tunisian port of Sousse Kantaoui for more than a year, under surveillance, TAP said.

One of the yachts was used by Ben Ali's nephew Douraid Ben Ali and the other likely by other relatives, port manager Jamel Nakbi told the agency.

He called on Tunisia's corruption investigation commission to launch and inquiry to identify the yachts' owners and enable the port to collect unpaid mooring fees.

On Wednesday Italian police seized another Ben Ali-owned yacht worth around a million euros ($1.4 million) that was moored on the southern island of Lampedusa, following an inquiry requested by Tunis.